RSD, New Mixes & Some Worthwhile Reading

So, Record Shop Day...

I went down to Rub A Dub at about 4pm and the shop was packed, there was plenty of beers going round and Stephen Brown was playing a great live set, this was followed by more beer, sets from The Blessings & Instra:Mental amongst others and a fantastic selection of house and techno records to check out, plus some exclusive RSD records.

The one criticism I do have is that it was only at 8pm, when Dan Monox went on the decks, that I saw a record being played, but apart from that it was excellent and in RAD's case, certainly proved that it is worthwhile and long may it continue.

I was surprised by a lot of the negativity towards RSD over the last few days, culminating in this feature from 'Digital DJ Tips'. What I really fail to understand is why anyone who loves music or Djing (in any form) would want to discredit RSD. Who cares if it won't save vinyl? Surely the longer that vinyl is around, the better it is for all of us? Can you imagine Glasgow without Rubadub? Berlin without Hardwax? Rotterdam without Clone?

Is there anything positive about that?

MP3s are cheaper, they are more convenient and you have almost every tune you can think of available instantly, so just be happy with what you have got. Live and let live - as a DJ, regardless of what you play, it's in your best interest to support vinyl and to support the scene, it's small, it's not in great shape and we won't always have it, so make the most of it while you can.

It wouldn't take much effort to shop at your local record shop more often, even if it's only for the latest software.

Kinda related to this is an article over at LWE from Stefan Goldmann, it's pretty long but I highly recommend reading it the whole way through as it is spot on, although slightly depressing. The future looks bleak (for most of us).

On a slightly more positive note, I think that everyone with an interest in techno should read this feature over at RA. It's a very interesting piece on the London techno club 'Lost', it's extremely well written and it makes you wish that you could have been part of it.

The description of the Mills/Basic Channel set really puts a modern 'live' set into perspective, true masters of their craft.

On the mix front, there's a couple of new ones that I think are worth sharing.

The 1st mix is from Juho Khusti, who has featured here before, with a mix for the Zombeats blog. Hypnotic techno is the order of the day, and if you're into this then please check out the Deep Space Helsinki radio show and look out for a very special mix later in the year.

Get it here.

The 2nd mix is from Yuka who is signed to Dasha Rush's label Full Panda, this is a vinyl only mix of otherworldy techno that was recorded for Nutation Records.

Get it here.

Also, for those who missed out on the vinyl release the Sandwell District album has now been released on CD and is available at all good record stores.